Oil-gas producer.



P. H. BATES.

OIL GAS PRODUCER.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 29, 1908. RENEWED MAY 4, 1912.

O java/z far, 27% 4/ @0117 2 sEEETs-sHEET 1A COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH CCIUWASHINGTON' D. c.

F. H, BATEg. OIL GAS PRODUCER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29, 1908 RENEWED MAY 4, 1912.

Patented Dec. 10, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 60.. WASMINQTDN, D. c

Application filed May 29, 1908, Serial No. 435,628.

niarrnn s'rxrns PATENT onrron.

FRANK H. BATES, OF ELYRIA, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO POWER PLANT ENGINEERING 00., A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

OIL-GAS PRODUCER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK I-I. BATES, a

citizen of the United States, resident of Elyria, county of Lorain, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Oil-Gas Producers, of which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

The present invention relates to the art of generating gas from oil, particularly from those hydro-carbon oils that form the constituents of petroleum. It need scarcely be remarked that the occasion for such gas or vapor generation is in connection with the operation of explosive engines, and the process, or processes, herein disclosed, and the apparatus pertaining thereto, relate to the generation of gas from oil in such connecticn, as will appear from the sequel. Heretofore, in general, only the more volatile constituents of petroleum, such as gasolene and other still lighter hydro-carbons have been utilized in connection with the operation of explosive engines, and the mode of using even them, such as is exemplified in the operation of the familiar carbureter or vaporizer, is not so much that of a gasification of the liquid as it is a mere mechani cal mixture thereof with air. In otherwords, the liquid is simply sprayed or pulverized and in this form thrown into a current of air which picks it up in its raw state and carries it into the explosion chamber of the engine. It is not necessary in this connection to enter into a detailed discussion of the inadequate character of such method of mixing a fuel with air for the purpose of combustion, wherever variations in the load of the engine are to be encountered. In spite, accordingly, of numerous mechanical refinements whereby a due proportioning of gasolene and air is sought to be obtained in the mixture despite the varying requirements of engine, as the latter is throttled down or opened wide, this method of using oil as fuel has proven not only uneconomical but productive of various difficulties, such as back-firing and failure to explode.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 10, 1912.

Renewed May 4, 1912. Serial No. 695,314.

The method and apparatus herein described relate, then, more strictly to the comparatively modern practice of generating gas or vapor from oil, such practice having received considerable impetus from the demand for a method of utilizing the crude oils rendered locally available in such large quantities by the recent opening up of new oil fields 0n the Pacific Coast and in Texas. It is not intended, however, to imply any limitation of the method in hand to such crude oils, or even kerosene, for the higher hydrocarbons, including gasolene, may be beneficially utilized in the same manner. In this practice the oil is heated in a generator by suitable means, usually and most conveniently by the exhaust from the engine, and the vapor thereby driven off is conducted from the generator to the engine, being first suitably admixed with air (which may be preliminarily heated or not as found desirable), thus furnishing in a high degree an economical operation of generator and engine. The more simple and readily suggested manner of generating the vapor is that of inclosing and heating an appreciable body of oil in a generating chamber. This manner of treatment of the oil is exemplified in its more modern and improved form in Letters Patent of the United States Nos. 748,687 and 7 63,039 granted to me January 5, 1904, and June 21, 1904, respectively. In

another arrangement of apparatus illustrated in Letters Patent of the United States No. 746,914 granted to me December 15, 1903, the oil instead of being confined as a definite body in the generator chamber is caused to flow therethrough by a tortuous course and in a more or less attenuated stream.

WVhile the devices illustrated in the Letters Patent just referred to in their practical moval of such deposit, and, more important still, the difficulty of regulation under varying loads, since, where the feed is set by hand, the richness of the vapor withdrawn will obviously vary as the demand for such vapor on the part of the engine varies. Accordingly, assuming that approximately correct adjustment of feed is secured by the manual adjustment of the apparatus, this is temporarily destroyed every timethat there is a shifting of the demand and maximum economy is hence impossible. In yet another type of generator illustrated in Letters Patent of the United States No. 7 7 2,488 granted to me October 18, 1904:, it has been sought to overcome these difliculties by an essentially novel arrangement of parts whereby the heated surface that effects evaporation of the oil is movable instead of being fixed, the oil being caught up on such surface in the form of a film that is dissipated as vapor under the influence of the temperature at which such surface is maintained. Without describing further the details of the operation of this last form of generator, I shall now proceed with the description of the present invention, which is in effect an elaboration of the same device therein shown; the operation of the former invention will obviously be included incidentally to this description of the latter.

Such present invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

' In said annexed drawings: Figure 1 represents partly in plan and partly in section the general lay out of a plant for producing gas from oil, embodying my several improvements; Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of one of the generators forming a feature of such plant; and Fig. 3 is partly a transverse sectional and partly a perspective view, of a detail entering into the construction of such generator.

Referring first of all to the general layout of the apparatus comprehended in my improved oil gas producing plant, as illustrated in Fig. 1, A will be seen to designate the explosive engine, or internal combustion motor, to which it is the object of such pro ducer plant to supply the necessary gaseous fuel. The particular construction of this engine is of course a matter of indifference so far as the present invention is concerned and so the cross-sectional view will suflice, since it discloses the intake port a for the ,combustive mixture and the exhaust port a generator, such as those to which allusion has been previously made, may be employed if desired, although not with such great success or economy of operation as when my improved type is in the one utilized. It will suflice for the present to state that each of these generators comprises an outer stationary receptacle B of general cylindrical form, within which is rotatably mounted a cylindrical drum B whereby an annular chamber 6 is in effect formed in the stationary drum or receptacle. The annular chamber 6 is designed to contain the oil being vaporized, while the heating medium for thus vaporizing such oil body is passed through hollow shafts leading through the ends of outer drum B to the interior of the revolving drum, whereby the surface of the latter is maintained at a proper temperature to volatilize the oil in the manner previously described. The heating medium which is utilized in connection with such generators for heating the inner rotatable drum, consists of exhaust gases from the engine A, these gases being conducted through an exhaust line A from port a, in an amount regulated by a control valve a in a branch at of such line opening directly into the air and constituting the exhaustproper. The admission of such exhaust gases into the drums of the respective generators is furthermore controlled by valves a a located in the branches a a of the main exhaust line leading to such drums respectively. After passing through the drums of the generator the gases, now considerably cooler, may be discharged as found most convenient, preferably through lines (not shown in Fig. 1) connected with the exhaust a proper of the engine. The gases or vapors arising from the heated body of oil in the respective generators, with or without addition of air, are conducted by valve-controlled branch pipes a a to a main gas line A leading to the intake port a of the engine. An'air line A is joined with such main gas line near where it is connected with the engine, that a proper amount of air may be intermixed to render the combination explosive.

Since, even'in the stationary type of oil gas generator, it is a matter of moment that the body of oil in the generator be maintained at a substantially constant level in order that evaporation may take place at a constant rate, it is, if anything, of greater importance in the type of generator in hand, where a revolving heating surface is utilized, that such constant level be preserved. This for the reason that not only would the amount of oil exposed to the heating medium be varied, but the actual effective heating surface of the drum will increase as the level of the liquid falls. I accordingly provide a novel arrangement of automatic feed pot in connection with each generator for not only supplying the requisite amount of oil at all times to the generator, but to afford such supply without varying perceptibly the level of the body of liquid at any time in the oil chamber of the generator. This automatic feed pot comprises in elfect a closed chamber of upright cylindrical form located contiguously to the generator and provided with an overflow pipe 0 rising centrally from its bottom to a plane substantially on a line with the level which it is desired to maintain in the oil chamber of thegenerator. Pipes 0, 0, one below and the other above the level of the overflow, respectively serve to conduct the oil from such feed pot to the generator and to equalize the vapor pressure in the two chambers, thus preventing any variation in the level owing to the slight pulsations of pressure incident to the alternate opening and closing of the suction of the engine. The oil is supplied to the automatic feed pot by a pump D that is made of a fixed capacity in excess of the maximum demands of the corresponding gen-- erator. Obviously, in the normal operation of the apparatus such excess of oil supplied by the pump will be admitted to the feed pot simply to be discharged by way of overflow 0 and thence to be conducted to the reservoir E, from which the pump supplies the oil, by overflow line C. For reasons that will now appear, I prefer to employ a plurality of such reservoirs or supply tanks E, their number desirably being the same as that of the generators B. Line D is provided for each pump such line being provided with valve controlled connections d (Z for withdrawing oil from either tank as desired. Similarly, the overflow lines 0 from the respective pots are provided with connections 0 0* whereby such overflow may be conducted to either tank as desired. In the event that there should be a considerable disparity between the fixed capacity of the pump and the demands on the corresponding generator I provide regulating means in the form of a valve d in the connection d between the pump D and corresponding feed 0t C, by means of which, supplemented y another valve in a by-pass discharge line D the major porfor operative tion of the excess from the pump may be diverted through such discharge lines. The latter have connections (Z (Z with the several tanks E as shown, and by a suitable control of these connections such excess may be discharged into either tank as found desirable, in accordance with the particular method of operation involved in the use of my system. It will be understood that the chief object of the valves in discharge lines D is to put the pumps under a sufi icient back-pressure that the valves 61 may be effective in regulating their discharge. It is obvious, however, that such back-pressure may be obtained in other ways, as, for example, by properly reducing the cross-sectional area of the by-pass discharge pipes. Return lines B having similar optional discharge connections 6 b with each of the supply tanks E are provided leading from the oil chambers of the respective generators whereby, if desired, a circulation of the oil through such chambers may be had, or the chambers be entirely drained of their contents when occasion arises.

The foregoing arrangement of supply tanks, pipe lines and generators, it is contemplated, will lend itself to the easy and convenient carrying out of several processes or methods of extracting power from oils of the kinds to which allusion was earlier made. Several of the more preferred of such methods or processes will now. be taken up and briefly described.

It is proposed, then, in the first place, that each generator and corresponding feed apparatus including a supply pipe, pump and necessary piping may be regarded as a unit purposes, which unit if desired, or found feasible under certain conceivableoperative conditions, may be economically utilized alone in supplying an engine with the gas required for operating the same. One such condition would be where a light and relatively pure hydrocarbon oil is being used as fuel, one, in other words, that will substantially entirely vaporize under the heat conditions employed in the generator. With such an oil, obviously, a single gas generating unit can be advantageously used, the oil being pumped from the tank to the automatic feed pot, in the manner set up in connection with the description of the construction of such apparatus, so as to maintain a constant level of the fuel in the oil chamber of the generator. When used in this fashion it will be noted that the overflow returned from the automatic feed pot to the reservoir or fuel. tank consists literally of the excess of such liquid supplied by the pump, there being practically no return current from the generator to the feed pot since the general direction of flow is contrary-wise. There is accordingly very little loss of heat, and the generator can be kept running under substantially constant conditions of temperature and hence of efliciency. When used in this manner the feed pot not only preserves a constant level of liquid in the oil chamber of the generator, but acts as a trap to keep the oil in the supply. tank from becoming heated. Such single gas generating unit may also be utilized in the handling of the lower grades of oils. In the case of such use, however, owing to the tendency that there would otherwise be for the non-volatilizable ingredients to collect and gradually to choke up the generator, I maintain a circulation of the oil through the generator. Accordingly, if at the start a considerable body of oil be segregated in the corresponding supply tank or reservoir of the unit, a slow circulation'of such body will be obtained, its character being gradually changed as the more volatile constituents are removed in the course of its passage through the oil chamber of the generator. Clearly, however, by starting with a large enough body of oil this change may be made very gradual so that the supply of air in the formation of the combustive mixture just prior to admission of the latter to the engine, may be conveniently regulated as the richness of the gaseous mixture supplied by the generator decreases. lVhen ultimately the body of oil is too impoverished to supply a mixture adapted to the needs of the plant, it is discarded as heretofore being conveniently withdrawn by way of drain pipe B Manifestly, however, a distinct advantage is secured over methods heretofore prevailing, whereby either the oil as it passes through the generator has been at once reduced to such impoverished state wherein it is useless, or else a fixed body is similarly reduced requiring to be changed at frequent intervals, it being obviously impossible either economically or practically to boil down a large body of oil such as I can maintain in my reservoir or supply tank. It is in connection with this last class of oils and particularly in the treatment of those having a heavy asphaltum content that I find it desirable to en' ploymore than one generating unit. As has been indicated, while but two such units are shown in the drawings, such increase in their number as may be found desirable under particular circumstances is contemplated as being within the spirit of the invention. here a single unit is employed in reducing oils of the class just referred to to a useless residuum it may still, however, well be, and is in fact generally the case, that a considerable proportion of such residuum can be utilized if the heating be continued and the amount finally discarded and wasted thus reduced to a minimum, a corresponding economy in the use of the fuel being attained. Accordingly, instead of throwing away the heavier oil left at this stage in the operation of such first generator I continue its treatment, but at the same time begin operation of the second generator, supplying fresh oil thereto from the residuum being treated in the first generator will have had all its available hydro-carbon extracted therefrom, and what is left may hence be discarded. A fresh body of oil may now be placed in the first tank ready for use in such first generator and such first generator be switched on to the line in connection with the second just as the second had been previously switched on in connection with the first. Where three or more gas generating units are employed the mode of operating the plant will obviously be the same, as in the case with the two units just described, except that the changing from one tank to an other'can be arranged so as to cause still less variation in the quality of gas being furnished. A further advantage in the employment of a plurality of generating units lies in the fact that, the supply of the heating medium being regulable, the final reduction of impoverished bodies of oil may be carried on at a higher temperature than would be desirable in the preceding treatment of such bodies.

Having thus described first, the general construction of my improved oil gas producer apparatus as also the preferred layout of such apparatus with connections and supply pipes for a power system, I shall now revert to a description of. the preferred construction of the oil gas generator B, that as stated forms a, feature of the apparatus in question.

Referring particularly to Fig. 2, the outer stationary receptacle, or drum, B of the generator will be seen to comprise two end plates 6 to which is attached the cylindrical body 6 of the drum, sheet steel thereby combining lightness with strength. The end plates are formed withsuitable bosses b that provide means for journaling therein the hollow shaft or trunnions b of the inner drum ,B suitable glands b for holding packing and thereby effecting a relatively tight joint at such bearings being likewise provided in connection with such bosses. The one end plate 79 is further provided with an inclosing collar, or sleeve, rigidly attached thereto and projecting beyond the corresponding hollow trunnion b of the inner drum to receive preferably made out of the connections a 04 (see Fig. 1) that conduct the exhaust from the engine to such inner drum. The other trunnion b on the contrary is closed and extends beyond the corresponding boss 6 to receive a worm gear I)", whereby the desired rotary motion may be imparted to such inner drum. The exhaust gases after passing through the inner drum escape from such last described trunnion through lateral openings 6 in the same, preferably an annular series of ports that open into a casing 13 connected with an exhaust line o as has already been described. Each of the hollow trunnions of the inner drum is furthermore provided with an interior shell 6 formed by a pipe of smaller diameter whereby a dead space is left between such lining, as it were, and the trunnions proper, thus preserving the bearings in which such trunnions are journaled from the highly heated exhaust gases. The lining pipe Z2 on the outlet side of the drum of course is provided with ports 6 registering with those 79 in the trunnion.

Inner rotatable drum B is cylindrical in form, its dimensions being obviously a matter of design, depending, in other words, on the requirements to which the generator will be subjected. The cylindrical surface of such drum is formed with a plurality of parallel and encircling ribs or fins 6 whereby not only is the effective heating surface of the drum measurably increased, but what amounts to practically the same thing the area of the film picked up by the drum as it rotates in the body of oil contained in the outer receptacle is correspondingly increased. That a maximum and relatively constant heating effect may be had by the passage of the exhaust gases through the drum, deflecting means are provided in the form of another drum B supported from one end within such rotating drum. The closed end 6 of such third drum, being interposed directly opposite thevopening in the hollow trunnion 6 through which the gases enter, serves as a deflector by which such gases are diverted to and retained in the relatively narrow annular space 6 between its cylindrical walls and the rotating drum. At the farther end of such deflecting drum its cylindrical wall is provided with a plurality of apertures I) through which the gases may pass into its interior and thence escape by the way of the other hollow trunnion b of the rotating drum B Cleansing of the inner exterior surface of rotating drum B may be effected as often as deemed necessary by moving inwardly into contact therewith a scraper B, that is movably mounted in the cylindrical wall of stationary drum B, as more particularly illustrated in Fig. 3. As there shown such scraper is thus held between flanges I) set into the wall of the drum, and has its inwardly projecting edge formed with serrations 6 corresponding in form and disposition with the encircling ribs or fins on drum B Movement of the scraper, either in or out, is effected through set bolts 6 engaging therewith in the fashion clearly shown in the figure of reference.

It has already been indicated that air may or may not be admixed with the oil-gas or vapor in the vaporizing chamber of the generator. This, it will be understood, is a matter of regulation depending on conditions, chiefly the character of the oil that is being handled; certain kinds of oil, for example, require the air as a carrier for the vapor, while in the case of others a sufficient vapor tension is developed by the heat applied to the generator to render the use of such carrying agent unnecessary. The respective generators, it will be observed are provided with inlets I), Fig. 1, for such air supply, vwhen the latter is deemed necessary.

It has been remarked heretofore, that the several general processes, or methods, of oilgas generation exemplified in the present apparatus are not necessarily limited to such apparatus but may be carried on by divers kinds of mechanisms and with other arrangements of pipe-lines. This is particularly true of the generator, proper, and the automatic feed pot associated therewith; for these, any other suitable generator and feed may be substituted so far as such general processes are concerned.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the fol-, lowing claims or the equivalent of such stated, means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention 1. The combination of an oil gas generator of the receptacle type; a reservoir of capacity considerably in excess of that of said generator; a feed pot; connections between said feed pot and generator; and means for effecting a gradual circulation of the body of oil in said reservoir through said feed pot, whereby such oil may be gradually impoverished, substantially as described.

2. The combination of an oil gas generator of the receptacle type; a reservoir of capacity considerably in excess of that of said generator; a feed pot; means for effecting a gradual circulation of the body of oil in said reservoir through said feed pot, whereby such oil may be impoverished by imperceptible degrees; and means for limiting the maximum level of oil in said feed pot.

3. The combination of an oil gas genera- 1 tor of the receptacle type; a reservoir of capacity considerably in excess of that of said generator; a feed pot having an overflow connected with said reservoir; connections between said pot and said generator, said connections being respectively located above and below the level of such overflow; and means for supplying oil from said reservoir to said pot, said means being arranged to thus supply oil in excess of the needs of said generator, whereby a substantially constant body of oil is maintained therein.

t. The combination of an oil gas generator comprising chambers for the oil to be volatilized, and the heating medium respectively; an oil supply tank; a feed pot having an overflow connected with said tank; connections between said pot and the oil chamber of said generator, said connections being respectively located above and below the level of such overflow; means for pumping oil from said tank to said pot, said means having a capacity fixed in excess of the needs of said generator; means for regulating the flow between said pumping means and said pot; a bypass for returning any excess from said pumping means to said supply tank; and means in said by-pass for putting said pumping means under back pressure.

5. The combination of an oil gas generator, comprising chambers for the oil to be volatilized and the heating medium, respectively; an oil-supply tank; a feed pot havlng an overflow connected with said tank;

connections between said pot and the oilchamber of said generator, said connections being'respect-ively located above and below the level of such overflow; and means for pumping oil from said tank to said pot.

6. The combination of an oil gas generator, comprising chambers for the oil to be volatilized and the heating medium, respectively; an oil-supply tank; a feed pot having an overflow connected with said tank; connections between said pot and the oilchamber of said generator, said connections being respectively located above and below the level of such overflow; means for pumping oil from said tank to said pot, said means having a capacity fixed in excess of the needs of said generator; means for regulating the flow between said pumping means and said pot; and a by-pass for returning any excess from said pumping means to said supply tank.

7. The combination of an oil tor,

gas generacomprising chambers for the oil to be volatilized and the heating medium respec-' tively; an oil-supply tank; a feed pot having an overflow connected with said tank; connections between said feed pot and the oil-chamber of said generator, said connections being respectively located above and below the level of such overflow; means for pumping oil from said tank to said pot; and a drain from said oil-chamber to said tank.

8. The combination of a plurality of independent oil gas generating means; a plurality of reservoirs; and means for eflect-ing a gradual circulation of the body of oil in any one of said reservoirs through any one of said generators, whereby said bodies may be gradually impoverished, substantially as described.

9. The combination of a plurality otoil gas generators, each comprising chambers for the oil to be volatilized and the heating medium, respectively; a plurality of oilsupply tanks; a feed pot for each of said generators, said feed pots beingconnected with the oil chambers in said generators and being adapted to maintain a predetermined level of oil therein, respectively; and means for pumping oil from any one of said tanks to the feed pot corresponding with any one of said generators, as described.

10. The combination of a plurality of oil gas generators, each comprising chambers for the oil to be volatilized and the heating medium, respectively; a plurality of oil supply tanks; a feed pot for each of said. generators, each teed pot having an overflow adapted to be optionally connected with any one of said supply tanks; connections between each pot and the oil-chamber of the corresponding generator, said connec-- tions being respectively located above and below the level of the overflow of such pot; and means for pumping oil from any one of said tanks to any one of said feed pots, as

desired.

11. The combination of a plurality of oil gas generators, each comprising chambers for the oil to be volatilized and the heating medium, respectively; a plurality of oilsupply tanks; a feed pot for each of said generators, each feed pot having an overflow adapted to be optionally connected with any one of said supply tanks; connections between each pot and the oil-chamber of the corresponding generator, said connections being respectively located above and below the level of the overflow of such pot; and means for pumping oil from any one of said tanks to any one of said feed pots, as

desired, said pumping means being arrangedto thus supply oil to said pots in excess of the needs of the corresponding generators, whereby a substantially constant body of oil is maintained in each of the latter.

12. The combination of a plurality of oil gas generators, each comprising chambers for the oil to be volatilized and the heating medium, respectively; a plurality of oil-supply tanks; a feed pot for eachot said generators, each feed pot having an overflow adapted to be optionally connected with any one of said supply tanks; connections between each pot and the oil-chamber of the corresponding generator, said connections being respectively located above and below the level of the overflow of such pot; means in connection with each feed pot for pumping oil thereto from any one of said tanks, as desired, said means having a fixed capacity in excess of the needs of the corresponding generator; a regulating device between each of said pumping means and connected feed pot; and bypasses for each of said pumping means adapted to return any excess therefrom to any one of said tanks, as desired.

13. The combination of a oil gas generators, each comprising chambers for the oil to be volatilized and the heating medium, respectively; a plurality of oil-supply tanks; a feed pot for each of said generators, each feed pot having an overflow adapted to be optionally connected with any one of said supply tanks; connections between each pot and the oil-chamber of the corresponding generator, said connections being respectively located above and below the level of the overflow of such pot; means in connection with each feed pot for pumping oil thereto from any one of said tanks, as desired, said means having a fixed capacity in excess of the needs of the corresponding generator; means for regulating the flow between each of said pumping means and connected feed pot; by-passes for each of said pumping means adapted to return any excess therefrom to any one of said tanks, as desired; and a drain from each of said oil chambers likewise adapted to be connected with any one of said tanks, as desired.

1 1. An oil gas generator comprising an outer stationary receptacle; a revoluble drum within said stationary receptacle; connections for supplying oil to, and withdrawing vapor from, said receptacle; and other connections for supplying a heating medium to said drum, the exterior surface of the latter being provided with ribs or fins, substantially as and for the purpose described.

.15. An oil gas generator comprising an outer stationary drum; a revoluble drum within said stationary drum; connections for supplying oil to, and withdrawing vapor from, said outer drum; and other connections for passing a heating medium through said inner drum, the exterior surface of the latter being provided with encircling ribs or fins, whereby the vaporization of the oil in said outer drum is facilitated, substantially as described.

16. An oil gas generator comprising an plurality of outer stationary drum; a revoluble drum within said stationary drum; connections for supplying oil to, and withdrawing vapor from, said outer drum; other connections for passing a heating medium through said inner drum; and means within the latter for retaining such medium in contact with the walls of the same, substantially as described.

17. An oil gas generator comprising an outer stationary drum; a revoluble drum within said stationary drum; connections for supplying oil to, and withdrawing vapor from, said outer drum; other connections for passing a heating medium through said inner drum; and yet another drum within the latter disposed so as to retain such medium in contact with the walls of the same, substantially as described.

18. An oil gas generator comprising an outer stationary drum; a revoluble drum within said stationary drum; connections for supplying oil to, and withdrawing vapor from said outer drum; other connections for passing a heat-ing medium through said inner drum, and yet another drum within the latter disposed so as to retain such medium in contact with the walls of the same, such walls being ribbed, whereby the vaporization of the oil in said outer drum is facilitated, substantially as described.

19. An oil gas generator comprising an outer stationary drum; a revoluble drum within said stationary drum; connections for supplying oil to, and withdrawing vapor from, said outer drum; other connections for passing a heating medium through said inner drum; and yet another drum within the latter disposed so as to retain such medium in contact with the walls of the same, such walls being provided on their exterior surface with encircling corrugations, whereby the vaporization of the oil in said outer drum is facilitated, substantially as described.

20. An oil gas generator comprising an outer stationary drum; a revoluble drum within said stationary drum; connections for withdrawing vapor from the latter; other connections for passing a heating medium through said inner drum; and means for maintaining a constant body of oil in said outer stationary drum, such means including a chamber apart from said drum and having an overflow, connections between said chamber and drum, said connections being respectively located above and below the level of such overflow, and means for supplying oil to said chamber.

21. An oil gas generator comprising an outer stationary drum; a revoluble drum within said stationary drum; connections for withdrawing vapor from the latter; other connections for passing a heating medium through said inner drum; and means for l 3 a f 1 ,046,540

maintaining aconstant'body of oil in said such overflow and means for supplying oil outer stationary drum, such means including to'said chamber;

a chamber apart from said drum, an open Signed-by me, this 26th day of May, 1908. oven-flow tube rising centrally Within said FRANK H. BATES. chamber, connections between said chamber Attested by and drum, said connections being respe'c- MARY ISRAEL,

tively located above and below the level of JNO. F. OBERLIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

